Brazilian pig iron exports reached 339,700 metric tons (mt) in September, up from 244,400 mt in August, according to foreign trade secretariat SECEX, part of the Ministry of Development, Industry Trade and Services (MDIC).
The increase was driven mainly by shipments to the US and Europe, which rose by 12.4 and 31.6 percent, respectively.
September destinations were the US (152,500 mt at $463/mt), Europe (135,700 mt at $456/mt), Mexico (25,700 mt at $465/mt), Argentina (23,500 mt at $387/mt), and Asia (2,300 mt at $564/mt), all on an FOB basis.
These prices were likely negotiated in July, when basic pig iron (BPI) was indicated below $480/mt and foundry grade above that level.
Shipments came from producers in the southeastern states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo (216,200 mt), Maranhão in the north (76,900 mt), and Mato Grosso do Sul (46,600 mt) in the central-west.
